Watch: Google Unveils Android O Live On Stream

Following four developer previews, numerous rumors, and months of anticipation, Google is finally set to officially announce Android O in a matter of minutes, with the Alphabet-owned company pledging to do so live on stream which starts at 2:40 PM ET, i.e. 11:40 AM PT. The tech giant will be streaming its official product launch event that's taking place in New York City where its Senior Vice President of Platforms & Ecosystems Hiroshi Lockheimer and a number of other high-profile executives are expected to take the stage and detail the latest major iteration of the most popular mobile operating system in the world. Once the event starts, you can follow it in real-time by tuning in to the video stream below.

Rumors of an August 21 launch of Android O have been circulating the industry for some time now and while they turned out to be correct, it remains to be seen whether reports of the OS being officially called Android 8.0 Oreo will also prove to be accurate. The Mountain View, California-based tech giant has been hinting at the Oreo name for a while and the fact that this well-known sweet also slightly resembles an eclipse is yet another reason why some industry watchers expect it to be the official moniker of Android 8.0, with Google opting to announce the OS during the first coast-to-coast solar eclipse in the United States in 99 years.

The upcoming stable build of Android O is expected to introduce a wide variety of new features and enhancements meant to improve the overall user experience of the platform, Google previously confirmed, while also showcasing virtually all of these functionalities as part of its Developer Preview program. One major addition to Android O is coming in the form of Notification Channels, a new system of managing notifications sent by individual apps in a granular manner. The OS will also provide users with more options for limiting background activities of apps in an effort to preserve more battery life and will ship with a picture-in-picture mode for smartphones that's identical to the one which debuted for Android TV with Nougat. Android O also comes with native compatibility for Project Treble, a new initiative that's meant to facilitate the process of developing software updates for devices powered by the open-source OS and will introduce Adaptive Icons, Bluetooth audio improvements, and a broad range of other additions.

Dominik started at AndroidHeadlines in 2016 and is the Head Editor of the site today. He’s approaching his first full decade in the media industry, with his background being primarily in technology, gaming, and entertainment. These days, his focus is more on the political side of the tech game, as well as data privacy issues, with him looking at both of those through the prism of Android. Contact him at [email protected]